Challenge

Driven by the need for connectivity in the Orenco neighborhood, a rapidly growing community in Hillsboro, OR, the City of Hillsboro determined that Century Boulevard and Cherry Drive required improvements. These roadways are critical to the efficient, safe transportation network in the community because they connect residents to businesses and provide access to transit. Enhancing the bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities required innovative design solutions to avoid utility conflicts, ensure environmental protections, and minimize impacts to residents and businesses during construction.

Solution

Through multiple phases, the Kittelson team was integral in constructing an enhanced, multimodal transportation facility in the Orenco Station area. The projects have included widening of Century Boulevard, extension of Cherry Drive and signal modifications, and operations improvements at Century Boulevard/ Cherry Drive and Century Boulevard/Cornell Road intersections.

Kittelson provided the following services:

Widened Century Boulevard through wetlands and constructed a sidewalk and bicycle lane,

Permitted the wetland fill under US Army Corp of Engineers SLOPES V (Standard Local Operating Procedures for Endangered Species),

Constructed new arch culvert over Orenco Creek and a shallow trunk sewer to extend Cherry Drive,

Integrated sidewalk and stormwater design with adjacent Sonrise Church planned improvements, and

Designed new LED illumination with gateway protocols.

The Outcome

Complete Streets Design Balances Livability with Rapid Growth

By strategically aligning these projects, the City of Hillsboro completed two projects economically to enhance the connectivity and walkability of the Orenco neighborhood.

Some unique aspects of associated with these improvements include:

Wetland Mitigation/Stormwater Treatment: Combining the projects into a single bid package allowed the team to mitigate wetland impacts at two sites along Cherry Drive, providing a better ecological solution for the entire drainage basin.

Structures Adjacent to Sewer Pipelines: Understanding where the sewers are located was critical to selecting the proper culvert size to span the creek and the sewers without causing settlement or impacting the active flow channel of the creek.

Construction Staging and Accessibility: Although not currently an accessible route, significant planning was conducted to provide continuous Americans with Disabilities Act routes through and around the construction areas. A pedestrian staging plan was created to reinforce the importance of providing this route.

Coordination with Adjacent Development: Kittelson collaborated with the Sonrise Church, integrating sidewalk and stormwater design with their planned improvements; in exchange, they donated the right-of-way and easements.

The projects complete a key piece in the overall transportation system that provides enhanced pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities, including a new structure over Orenco Creek.